Irish annual inflation hits 3-year high of 0.5 percent in July

DUBLIN, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Ireland (Other OTC: IRLD - news) 's annual inflation rate rose to its highest level in three years in July, with consumer prices up 0.5 percent, fuelled by higher spending on insurance, education and hospitality, data showed on Thursday.

Despite three years of strong economic growth, consumer prices have remained muted in Ireland, which posted its first annual growth for more than a year last December. The annual rate has only been positive in three of the past seven months.

Consumer prices fell 0.2 percent on a monthly basis in July, down from growth of 0.7 percent in June, to show the slowest price growth since January. (Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Gareth Jones)